


Little Miss Matilda

by holdyourbreathfornow



Series: Family of Three [6]
Category: Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware - Fandom
Genre: Cats, Emotional Support Animals, Family Bonding, Gordon gets an ESA, Implied non-human Benrey, In my kingdom of angst?, Memory Loss, Mentions of Therapy, Multi, Oh shit fluff?, Okay so there's a lil bit of angst, She's a ragdoll cat and I love her, Who woulda thought, having a healthy network of support, it's fine, we're fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdyourbreathfornow/pseuds/holdyourbreathfornow
Summary: Tommy has an idea while washing Sunkist's service animal jacketBenrey just really wants a parrot
Relationships: Benrey/Tommy Coolatta/Gordon Freeman, Bubby/Dr. Coomer (Half-Life), The Science Team as family
Series: Family of Three [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918150
Comments: 35
Kudos: 290





	Little Miss Matilda

**Author's Note:**

> While this does reference some angsty events, the fic itself isn't angsty. You can't be mad at me for this one

The idea pops up in Tommy’s head innocently enough. Sunkist had gotten some mud on her service vest and it was Tommy’s turn to do the laundry so he’d just tossed it in with the reds. As he folds the laundry, the idea strikes him as he carefully tugs stray fibers from the velcro straps.

Gordon’s nightmares have been causing him to deal with some insomnia, and while he had started seeing a therapist, (Who the rest of the Science Team had each threatened to not flip for Black Mesa) it still makes him look drawn around the edges, and he’ll sleep on anything that holds still long enough.

Though finding Coomer standing in the kitchen with Gordon snoring on his shoulder had been very sweet.

Nonetheless, the idea of Gordon getting his own service animal has quickly taken over Tommy’s brain, and he shoots off a text to Benrey.

_ ‘Do you think Gordon would want a service animal?’  _ Tommy knows his text will be answered quickly, since Benrey’s probably either gaming or watching a movie with Gordon in the living room. The two of them have been devouring as much pop culture as they can, and at times they’ll make obscure references that they then enthusiastically explain to Tommy.

It makes him smile just thinking about it.

Soon enough, his phone buzzes.

_ ‘Are parrots a service animal _

_ Get him a lil screechy bird friend’ _

_ ‘I somehow doubt he’ll appreciate a bird screaming at him, Benrey.’ _

_ ‘Can I get a parrot’ _

_ ‘Absolutely not.’ _

_ ‘Boooooo’  _ That makes Tommy snort into his hand but another text is quick to follow.  _ ‘He likes cats’ _

_ ‘Yeah?’ _

_ ‘Yep yep  _

_ Scientist brought one in once to see how it reacted to me _

_ Thought baby Gordo was gonna fuckin explode’  _ As with anytime Benrey and Gordon’s suffering at the hands of Black Mesa is brought up, Tommy has to take a grounding breath, but the idea of Gordon with a furry cat in his lap, able to sink his hands into its fur when he’s all alone after a nightmare, not wanting to wake anyone up…

It feels like Tommy’s just drunk a whole case of soda, excitement filling him as he flaps his hand not holding his phone a little at his side.

_ ‘We can ask him about it later! See if he likes it! Sunkist is very good with other animals.’ _

_ ‘Sounds like a plan _

_ Now that thats decided’ _

_ ‘You’re still not getting a parrot, honey. Love you!’ _

_ ‘:/ _

_ Love you too’ _

-

Gordon has an arm around Benrey’s chest, lifting them easily off the ground and letting them dangle there, when Tommy finishes the laundry and comes back into the living room. He pauses in the doorway and takes in the scene, Gordon yelling something about… Hobbits, Tommy thinks, while Benrey mocks him. Both of them are grinning ear to ear, but they both freeze like kids with their hands in the cookie jar when Tommy clears his throat.

“Sh-should I ask, or…?”

“Benrey’s being dumb.” Gordon shakes them a little and Benrey lets their tongue loll out, like Sunkist when she’s happy. “They think Bilbo should’ve kept the One True Ring.”

“Spy Kids 6: Spy Hobbits. Spobbits.” That sets Gordon laughing and his grip goes slack enough that Benrey can wriggle out of his grasp and dart behind Tommy.

“While I believe the Ring was- It wasn’t good for Bilbo’s health, I had something I wanted to ask you about, Gordon.” Gordon’s smile drops a little and Tommy stammers in his haste to reassure him. “I-its nothing- It’s not bad! I promise!”

“Okay, don’t scare me like that!” Gordon wheezes out a laugh and tugs idly at the end of his ponytail. “So what did you wanna talk about?”

“I- well, m-me and Benrey, we were wondering… Do you want a service animal?”

“Oh.” Gordon blinks in shock. “Oh, I dunno. It never really occurred to me.”

“Healthy head cat.” Benrey mutters and that resonates with Gordon. 

“Wait, cats can be service animals?”

“W-well, in your case, it’d be an emotional support animal. And they- the Americans With Disabilities Act doesn’t recognize them officially. And you need a letter from your therapist.” 

“That’s alright.” Gordon shifts on his feet nervously. “If I can’t get that letter… Can we still get a cat anyway?”

“A-as long as Coomer and Bubby are okay with it! I don’t know if one of them is- Hopefully they don’t have allergies.”

“They shouldn’t.” Gordon says it normally enough, but his grin splits his face and he bounces excitedly on the balls of his feet before he leans forward and wraps Tommy up in his arms, pressing a few quick kisses to Tommy’s cheek. “You’re so smart, Tommy.”

“G-gordon!” Tommy squeaks with laughter and Benrey clambers under Gordon’s arm, wedging themself into the hug.

“Kissies for Benny? I was the one who told Tommy you liked cats.”

“I didn’t think you remembered that.” Gordon says but kisses Benrey’s temple anyway. Benrey scrunches their face at him.

“Bro, ‘course I did! You were-” They pull their beanie down a little lower, blushing slightly. “You were, uh, cute with it.”

“Awwwww.” Gordon laughs and Benrey knocks their head against his chest. The three of them huddle together in the living room before Gordon eventually pulls away. “Okay, I’m gonna go ask Papa and Dad if they have allergies.”

“Love you.” Tommy grins and Gordon returns the smile, face growing a little redder.

“Love y’all too.”

-

Bubby and Coomer don’t have any allergies, and had been just as enthusiastic to the idea as Gordon was, and so too was his therapist. He had returned from his appointment with a letter clutched in his hand and a vaguely bewildered expression on his face. 

“He was… Very enthusiastic.” He told them and that had set Bubby off laughing.

Finally, they make an appointment with a shelter that trains pets for therapy and emotional support, and they all cram into Coomer’s weird minivan to drive down there. When they do get down there, the lady working the receptionist’s desk tells them that Gordon will be the only one allowed back there with the animals.

“Makes sense.” Bubby shrugs, as much as he looks displeased with the notion. “Scent glands and shit.”

“Yooooo, I got those.” Benrey cheers in a monotone voice, and Gordon snorts. He looks back at the group before he vanishes through the door.

“Welp.” Benrey smacks their lips obnoxiously and turns away from the door Gordon had disappeared through. “Gonna go… Commit crimes. Steal Skittles, be gay.”

“Go with them and get me a Three Musketeers, please, love.” Coomer nudges Bubby with his shoulder and while the taller man grumbles, he tags along with Benrey down a different hall.

Tommy and Coomer settle in to wait.

-

Eventually, Gordon re-emerges from the back room with a cat carrier clasped tight in one hand and a grin splitting his face that makes Tommy’s cheeks go a little red. To push past it, he stands and walks over, crouching down so he can peer into the carrier. Benrey stands behind Tommy, and Tommy can hear them sniffing at the air.

A gorgeous ragdoll cat stares back at Tommy through the bars of the carrier.

“She’s a girl.” Gordon tells Tommy just as he opens his mouth to ask. 

“She’s about four years old, and I think she really liked Gordon!” The receptionist lady tells them and Gordon nods. 

“She just walked right up to me and sat on my feet and then she got angry when I moved so I figured I’d better make her happy.”

“He liked her too, considering he immediately called her ‘princess’.” The receptionist immediately throws Gordon under the bus and he turns bright red. 

“Listen-” He starts but cuts himself off, sighing. “I’m never living this down, am I?”

“No!” Tommy and Coomer chirp in unison while Bubby smirks and Benrey crouches to look at the tag.

“Yo, she’s named ‘5329’.” They say and Gordon shakes his head.

“No, she doesn’t have a name. I got to name her.”

“What d-did you end up naming her, Gordon?”

“Matilda.” Gordon smiles but it drops from his face when he sees the shell-shocked expressions on Coomer and Bubby’s faces. “What? What’s wrong? Is it the cat? Cause I can-”

“No.” Coomer takes a shaky breath.

“Don’t you dare return her.” Bubby hisses and Coomer pats his shoulder comfortingly as he swipes tears away.

“She’s a beautiful cat, Gordon, it’s just… When you were young, you were always begging for a cat. You wanted to name it ‘Matilda’, even back then. It was your favorite movie.”

“Oh.” Gordon exhales and pushes his bangs up with the heel of his hand. “That’s… That’s so weird.”

“I wanna see ‘Matilda’.” Benrey interjects and Coomer nods.

“We should still have our original copy somewhere.”

“Movie night!” Gordon smiles and goes to finish filling out the paperwork.

-

The sun has long since set, and the Science Team is all in the living room, the bright lights of the TV washing over the room. 

Benrey’s asleep on one end of the couch and Bubby’s asleep against Coomer’s chest. Coomer looks over.

Gordon’s watching the screen raptly, one hand laced with Tommy’s as Tommy scrolls on his phone and Gordon’s other hand is supporting his chin. In his lap, Matilda is purring loudly enough that Coomer can hear her over the movie. 

Coomer smiles and pulls his phone out, making sure the flash is off before he takes a picture.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. Hey I'm on tumblr. @holdyourbreathfornow
> 
> Come say hi :)


End file.
